1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electronic components and methods for producing electronic components, and specifically to electronic components including resistive elements and methods for producing such electronic components.
2. Description of the Related Art
Screen printing and inkjetting, for example, are known as methods for forming resistive elements, such as resistive films, with desired resistance in, for example, resistors.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 60-30101, for example, discloses a method of forming dot-like first resistive portions and varying areas at varying intervals on a surface of a substrate in a substantially striped pattern by screen printing and then forming over the first resistive portions a continuous layered second resistive portion whose electrical resistance differs from that of the first resistive portion.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 10-189305, on the other hand, discloses a method of forming a resistor by depositing a single type of resistive ink on an unfired ceramic sheet by inkjetting.
However, if resistive portions are formed by screen printing as in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 60-30101, screens must be replaced for different resistances. This involves a considerable screen production cost for each resistance and a long period of time for screen production.
In addition, if two or more types of conductive pastes are applied by screen printing, they cannot be simultaneously applied; a drying step and a screen replacement step are required for application of each type of conductive paste. In the application of the second and subsequent conductive pastes, the screens used must be located with high accuracy at the position where the previously applied conductive pastes have been applied. In addition, the second and subsequent conductive pastes may be unsuccessfully put into gaps between the previously applied conductive pastes by screen printing, thus leaving voids. It is therefore difficult to simplify the process.
If a resistor is formed using a single type of resistive ink as in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 10-189305, for example, formation of resistors with the same size and shape but different resistances requires resistive inks with different compositions corresponding to those resistances to be prepared in advance. It is therefore difficult to support high-mix, low-volume production.